In 2 minds abut my second home birth..
Home birth section

I have had so much trouble trying to find a midwife who is ALLOWED to attend my HB, being a vbac mum restricts my options, as most midwives over here are restricted. I have found a male midwife 90 minutes away who will attend, but I just don't feel comfortable with him. It's not the fact he's male at all, just don't feel at he's the one I'd like to attend my hb, IYKWIM? I don't know what to do. Or I should just take my husband and doula and hospital birth and leave straight after birth, we're 40kms from the nearest hospital, and I will have to follow their policies, which is the reason I HBed my last, as I was treated like crap for my first VBAC. I really don't know what to do.

No birth centres, the main maternity hospital is 100kms away and that's for low risk ladies. They have an NBAC clinic, but they still have their policies, plus If I have to go up there in peak hour it could be a 2 hour plus trip, and my last labour was only 3.5 hours. Pretty much just over 2 hours from the time I realize I was really really in labour to baby being out. And that was an hour of pushing too.

I have had no luck finding a midwife, registered or unregistered, to attend, bar this one.

My DH will only hb with someone there to attend me. I'm happy with that as I don't think I could switch off enough to labour happily without stressing.

I spoke to the "local" hospital 40kms away, one dr I spoke to said he's the most relaxed and he still enforces the hospital policies, he says the others are very strict on the policies. Ie no intermittent monitoring, it's lay on the bed at all times kinda thing. I only labour well with heat/water so will be water birthing, in a shower at the minimum. Hospital policy is what made my first vbac hell on earth, a dr trying to tell me to do this and that when baby was being monitored via Doppler constantly and was just fine.

I'm 40kms south of Mandurah in western Australia. The Perth midwives I have spoken to (including my last one) can't attend, and there's 2 down south (90 minutes drive). One refuses to attend as its too far (but she offered to drive the 120kms when I was loing at hiring her last time?) and this person who I had met with. I have heard there are other birth workers around but don't know who they are.

I'll preface by saying I'm not a homebirther - if I couldn't find a suitable midwife I was comfortable with, I'd choose the hospital and try and pre-negotiate with the staff about permitting x if I do y, etc.

I wouldn't pay someone I didn't feel comfortable with to attend a homebirth. I figure you can get that level of discomfort in a hospital, only with extra staff on hand if something does, god forbid, actually go horribly wrong.

Unfortunately, due to the treatment I have receive while trying to negotiate their "policies" I would rather free birth than go back. They rarely negotiate, they just play along until you're in labour then demand you do as you're told. I wa told to birth on the side of the road, he didn't care as long as I got out of his hospital.

I would happily have an unregistered or retired midwife attend my birth over visiting any hospital in Perth or surrounds.

Unfortunately, due to the treatment I have receive while trying to negotiate their "policies" I would rather free birth than go back. They rarely negotiate, they just play along until you're in labour then demand you do as you're told. I wa told to birth on the side of the road, he didn't care as long as I got out of his hospital.

I would happily have an unregistered or retired midwife attend my birth over visiting any hospital in Perth or surrounds.

If I'd had that sort of experience, I reckon I'd take my chances with the milkman helping me deliver

The resgistered MWs in Perth can travel don here but they're restricted on attending vbacs so no point in going anywhere the midwives program said they have a list on their website, it includes the restricted ones, and the 2 down south that can't attend ans the one I have met with. Myself and my doula have our feelers out for an underground midwife, but they're so hard to find!

I will post on the midwife section, I didn't even think about it thank you

Fluster it was ridiculous, he was rude, arrogant and nasty.i just ignored m and my amazing doula told him and his groupies of nasty midwives where to go.

So are you saying that the private midwives won't support you because you are preparing to HBAC? This is a little unusual unless they have had restrictions placed on them due to a complaint (which in the current climate is common).. Midwives are not restricted by policy in HBAC and certainly all the midwives I know in Melbourne support VBAC and VBA2C.. What about taking a holiday in another area and birthing at friends/family/holiday house??

They are restricted, complaints have been made by hospitals that they are going against guidelines. If they support me and are found out, they will lose their registration. I don't have the option to move elsewhere, aching 4 other children and a property to run, I can't leave here and stay somewhere else. Perth has a shortage of hb midwives as it is, and since ours keep being restricted its leaving vbacing women with no options.

I think it is a sad reflection on the home birth climate in our country when women like yourself find themselves forced in to freebirth or forced in to hospital birth because the only available midwives aren't allowed to assist due to registration restrictions.

It's a disgrace, really. It makes me angry. I can only hope you find a resolution. Have you asked on JB?

It's a very sad state when I could go in and demand an elective c section and be given it, but funding a birth out of my own pocket, and delivering at home is becoming illegal. Oh but they believe they will force women into hospitals.... More like force them into free birthing

I haven't home birthed but had 2 in mandurah hospital. First WA not good, due to an arrogant ob. 2nd I had a wonderful doctor from pinjarra, Dr Tony Tropiano. I explained my issues with first birth and he told me he was happy to intervene as little or as much a I wanted. He totally kept out during my labor and allowed midwives to deliver.

My only issue with 2nd was having to be monitored initially which involved being on a bed and plugged into monitoring equipment. I hated being on the bed.

I had a bath at the hospital but spent most of my time in the shower. I chose to deliver on the be but have had friends deliver with the beanbag and in the shower.

I'd make a visit to Dr Tropiano and see how you feel after meeting him.

We were in Lake Clifton and I would not have considered traveling to another hospital and with my 3rd would not have had time to make any other hospital.

Hope you can find someone to assist with your home birth who makes you comfortable or a hospital solution that suits.

Dr Tropiano used to be my family GP! A lovely guy.CB it is a crying shame that the the FBC cannot supoort VBAC as that would have been a great option in your case I hope you find someone to attend your birth that you are comfotable with.

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